LAMB CHOPS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO BUTTER

SERVES4

• ACTIVE TIME:15 MIN
• START TO FINISH:25 MIN

• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 8 rib lamb chops (3/4 inch thick; 2 lb)

• GARNISH:

  lemon wedges

• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer paste to a food processor and pulse with sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, coriander, cayenne, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper until finely chopped. Blend in butter and lemon juice, then season with salt.
• Preheat broiler. Lightly oil rack of a broiler pan.
• Pat lamb chops dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total), then broil on rack of broiler pan 4 to 5 inches from heat, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes total for medium-rare. Spread tomato butter over chops.

Kabob-less Lamb Kabobs with Mint Pesto

These were supposed to be kabobs, but we didn’t want to deal with soaking the skewers or our miniature grill or the hassle of cleaning the caste-iron grill pan, so we just sautéed them all together instead. There was a lot of liquid in the marinade (that we *cough* only marinated for 20 minutes), so it didn’t brown that nicely, so we tossed it in the broiler for a few minutes at the end instead. Someday when we actually have space to grill we’ll have to try these again on actual kabobs.

Makes 16 mini-kabobs (or about 4-6 servings). Recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1/4 cup minced mint leaves
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon minced oregano leaves
2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cleaned and cut into 1 1/2 -inch cubes, makes about 32 pieces
16 (8-inch skewers) *see cook’s note
16 pear or cherry tomatoes
16 pearl onions, peeled
1 large green pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 1-inch squares (at least 16 pieces)
16 small button mushrooms
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Mint Pesto:
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch kosher salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS
In a non-reactive bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, onion, mint, parsley, rosemary, and oregano. Add the lamb and toss to coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the grill or a grill pan on high.

On each skewer, thread a tomato, meat, onion, pepper, meat and mushroom. Repeat until you have 16 prepared skewers. Season the skewers with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, about 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium to medium-rare.

To make mint pesto, combine all of the ingredients except for the oil in the blender. Pulse until well pureed. With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Drizzle over kabobs and serve.

*Note: if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before placing on the grill.

Lamb Chops with Cherry Balsamic Glaze

We splurge every now and then. We eat pretty economically for the most part, and usually get one ’special’ thing every week, usually that means shrimp or scallops, but this week, lamb. This is maybe the 3rd time I’ve ever had it, and I have to say it was pretty good. Not something we’ll eat all the time, that’s for sure. But if you want to try lamb, this is a good way to eat it. The sauce was very good, and might work with something else too, chicken maybe? Or even ice cream. Hehe.

We couldn’t find sour cherries… and ended up with a bag of frozen sweet cherries. So our sauce may have been sweeter than it should have been. The fresh mint is a must though… it really adds a lot and shouldn’t be skipped.

Lamb Chops with Cherry Balsamic Glaze

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) pitted sour cherries (1/2 lb)
1 tablespoon sugar
8 (3/4-inch-thick) rib lamb chops (2 lb total), trimmed of excess fat
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallot (4 oz)
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

DIRECTIONS
Stir fresh cherries together with sugar and macerate while browning chops. If using frozen cherries, stir with any juices and sugar and thaw, about 1 1/2 hours.

Pat lamb dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 chops, turning over once, about 6 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Cook and transfer remaining 4 chops in same manner.

Pour off fat from skillet and add remaining tablespoon oil. Heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shallot, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add cherries with juices, broth, and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and scraping up brown bits, then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add butter and 2 tablespoons mint, stirring just until butter is melted.

Spoon sauce over chops and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons mint.